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mom and baby care

As I have mentioned in my post about The Working Mom All About Kids Bazaar, we went to an Avent event right after shopping and having lunch. The event was actually a tie-up between Rustan’s and Philips Avent and it was titled Mom and Baby Care which also featured the Joys of Breastfeeding as discussed by Dr Seizan Marie Reyes, OB-GYN.

Photo taken from Philips Avent PH Facebook

I have always wanted to attend workshops about breastfeeding and baby care so I can get tips and learn more from the experts. If it’s free and the venue is not too far, why not, di ba? I was happy to have read about the Avent event in my Facebook feed because aside from it being free and a bit near, my baby and I are Avent users, too.

We came in a bit late because we were not that familiar with the Rockwell-Makati Ave route. When we got to the venue, Dra Seizan was already starting with her talk. The place was brimming with attendees that the organizers added more chairs behind the glass doors of what seemed like a play area. I have also seen some parents who have Pampers package on their lap. I think we missed a raffle, sayang! Beside the registration booth behind the glass door, a catering table was set up. It was so nice of Rustan’s and Avent to have provided carbonara, pastry and juice for everyone

Dra Seizan is a bubbly doctor who is very knowledgeable on the topic of breastfeeding. She reminds me of my own OB-GYN who has Reyes as her last name, too. I think, all Reyes doctors are easy to talk to Having breastfed all of her three children, Dra Seizan shared her own tips and insights on feeding, expressing and storing our precious liquid gold. I was not able to jot them down but here are some that I remember:

You can enjoy your favorite coffee even if you’re a breastfeeding Mommy. Dra shared that back in the day, she just trimmed down her servings and none of her babies have become jittery or anything.

Today’s society is much more acceptable with breastfeeding in public as compared to her time.

You don’t need special clothes to breastfeed your baby outdoors. Wear a button down blouse, unbutton from the bottom up to the lower part of your chest and you’re good to go.

Do not use ball type/horn type breast pumps, the kind that you find in drug stores worth less than Php200 because they don’t really work. They will just cause breastmilk to back flow, which makes it painful. Plus, it’s difficult to clean, too. You cannot clean the insides of the ball to remove the milk drippings even if you sterilize them. Dra strongly suggests that we invest in gear type breast pumps which are available in manual and electric versions. She says that these are expensive because a lot of research goes into them. During the event, Avent raffled off their manual breast pump. I was hoping to win it, but then another mom got it. Her smile was so big when she got it!

Malunggay capsules are helpful in lactation. She tried it, too. She said that Moringa was okay. I bought some last weekend. Will tell you how effective it is when I have finished the 10 capsules.

Fathers can help with the feeding, too. She and her husband take turns in feeding their babies. When she is asleep and their baby is hungry, her husband would position the baby beside her and he will watch over the baby as the little one gets milk from her.

Freshly pumped milk can last up to 8 hours at room temperature; 5 days when refrigerated after being expressed and 2 weeks when put in the freezer right after expression.

No ref in the office? (My question :)) Ask the nearby canteen or any establishment to store the milk for you. Most of them are willing to do it as they know that its for the baby. She once attended a conference and had nothing to preserve her breastmilk. She asked the nearby gelato kiosk to store the milk for her. The attendant gladly helped and her and labelled the milk before putting it in their freezer.

You don’t need a special cleaning agent to clean your breasts before and after feeding. Just wipe it clean with a wet (face)towel and use soap and water when taking a bath.

Husbands of breastfeeding mothers must support them especially during milk expression. Words of encouragement and a simple “I love you” go a long way.

Breastfeeding mommies must not forget the daddies and their needs. Make time for love. However, Dra cautioned that extreme discretion must be applied when the baby is 2 years old and up. She said that toddlers might get confused when they see parents in the act.

These are all I can remember. If you were in the same event with me, you may add what you have learned from that talk in the comments below.

Before the presentation ended, Dra Seizan commended the husbands who came to attend with their wives. After that, attendees were encouraged to ask questions. Dra answered and patiently explained each one of them. There was even one mom whom Dra offered to talk to her husband. That’s because the woman’s husband was reluctant about her breastfeeding in public. Bait ni Dra Seizan

That’s me asking about milk storage in a ref-less office

After the merienda, there was a game for dads. My husband raised his hand to join but the emcee just needed 3 contestants. After that, the Aprica stroller was demo-ed. I think that it’s their new model. The event ended with the distribution of Philips Avent gift bags. Take a peek of what we’ve got.